Partnerships for Schools



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Partnerships for Schools
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Press Releases

Press Releases

Press release: Manchester City Council has signed contracts on the second of its BSF projects

23 November 2006

Manchester City Council Press Release: 

Pupils and staff at Newall Green High School, Manchester are celebrating the signing of the contract that will see a brand new school building erected alongside part of the existing school, funded through Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

Work has already begun on site and progress of the new building is being eagerly watched by pupils,  who have been involved in the design and planning of their new school every step of the way.

The £14 million investment in the school – expected to open in September 2008 – will deliver a brand new science and technology teaching block, kitchen and dining accommodation, art rooms, a school hall, administration block, Learning Resource Centre, and a special educational needs base.

Key features of the design include a brand new frontage for the school including an attractive plaza and a striking multi-coloured curved design for the hall; a central courtyard as the 'hub' of the school incorporating the Learning Resource Centre on stilts with an amphitheatre below; and improved school grounds.

There is also an innovative 'mega-loo' for all students - one building with a girls' half and a boys' half, both with individual cubicles.  The loo will have dedicated staff supervision by a member of the school's health education team, to ensure that advice and key personal and health education messages are available to students.  This will include having posters on the walls and in toilet cubicles and leaflets for students to take away with them.

The development at the school will retain some of the newer parts of the existing school, including a teaching block added in 1995, a dance studio completed in 2002, music teaching areas, and leisure / PE facilities including an all weather-pitch.

Access for pedestrians, disabled people and cyclists will be improved and an area will be dedicated for parents to drop off their children at the front of the school.  

The school is committed to supporting its local community and many of its facilities will be available for use by people living locally.

Councillor Jeff Smith, Manchester City Council's Executive Member Children's Services, commented: "The new school will provide first class learning facilities for pupils and the wider community and will play an important part in raising even further standards at the school that is already one of Manchester's fastest improving schools."

Tim Byles, Chief Executive, Partnerships for Schools, congratulated Manchester City Council on the commercial close of the project to replace Newall Green High School, and said: "We look forward to working with Manchester on this and all their subsequent BSF projects, which are designed to transform the educational experience for the city's schoolchildren."

The new school is being built by Balfour Beatty Construction Limited, who have also established a Construction Learning Hub on a site adjacent to the new school.  This provides on-site training for potential new construction workers from the local community, and assessment and training for existing construction workers already working on Manchester schools projects.  It has been developed in partnership with MANCAT (Manchester College of Arts and Technology) and the City Council to help further progress the regeneration of the city.

Albert Ree, Director and General Manager, Balfour Beatty Construction Northern, said: "We are delighted to be starting work on the new Newall Green High School and to support Manchester City Council's objective of giving pupils and teachers an enhanced learning environment.

"The new facilities will bring benefits to the school and its wider community."

ENDS

MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Jane Lemon, Press Office, Tel: 0161 234 3179
Neil Wilson, Headteacher Newall Green High School, tel: 0161 499 3878
Marjorie Hooper, Balfour Beatty, Tel: 020 7216 6846

Notes to Editors:

  1. Newall Green High School is a 900 place co-educational school.  It has specialisms in Performing Arts, Science and Vocational Studies, and links to the MANCAT (Manchester College of Arts and Technology) post-16 facility located on the adjacent site.  New research by University College, London, published in Education Guardian 7 Nov 06 ranks the school as 9th top most performing urban state schools in the country.
  2. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is the largest single schools capital investment programme for over 50 years.  The aim is to rebuild or renew every one of England's 3,500 state secondary schools during the 15 year lifetime of the £45 billion programme.
  3. Partnerships for Schools (PfS) is the delivery agency for Building Schools for the Future.  PfS was established in April 2004 as a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and is operated and funded under a joint venture between DfES (Department for Education and Skills) and Partnerships UK.
  4. Working in collaboration with Partnerships for Schools, Manchester City Council has developed the Manchester Local Education Authority Partnership which will deliver investment in 33 secondary school and SEN schools.  Designs are also progressing at a further 6 schools, and construction works are due to commence on site in 2007.  Manchester has secured funding for 17 schools in BSF Wave 1 and has bid for further funding for 6 Academies and 10 schools in BSF Wave 4.